Expectation from 2022 for HCG

HCG’s vision for the near future is holistic in essence and broad-based in terms of plans and priorities. I would like to elaborate upon our key initiatives, rooted in disruptive innovation and driven by actionable insights, under the four heads of Clinical, Research, Academics, and Training.

Under Clinical initiatives, we have achieved a sizeable scale in terms of case load and patient outcomes across most centers. We will now strive to connect all peripheral centers in Tier-I and Tier-II cities, with the hubs located in the metros. This seamless integration will help us benc­hmark quality even in far flung spokes for treating poor patients with modest means, and help improve their overall quality of life. Through our Tuesday tumor board delibera­tions and multidisciplinary clinics across the entire value chain, we will further enhance therapeutic outcomes in complex cases that are otherwise written off as palliative, largely due to their incidence in deprived regions marred by limited physical connectivity between patients and practitioners. At HCG, we consciously call the Tuesday tumor board our Tuesday Religion, where I personally discuss, deliberate, and debate complex cases with practicing oncologists across 26 centers; this is a focused continuum of solution-centric conversations to re­imagine the future of cancer care and cure across the globe.

Under Research, we are focused on developing cancer vaccines focused on precise gene targets. We have already initiated a pioneering effort in genomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics to unleash indigenous research in India for Indians, rather than extrapolating Western-origin data and force-fitting it in the context of the Indian populace.

Further, we are looking at integrating complementary medicine to boost conventional medicine outcomes. We are also moving away from the conventional medical records department toward incepting a comprehensive data center for conducting value-added AI-based analytics. In the near future, we will constitute a matrix of metrics for enhancing key prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic decision-making for serving the larger cause of cancer care and control. We are now working on a modus operandi to ensure that the last-mile benefits from our precision and personalized medicine endeavors through tech-enabled innovation like the Hololens, a phenomenal technology marked by super processing power and wider field of vision to help us augment our proven competence in the field of cancer care. Going forward, our energies will be focused on building a comprehensive HCG cancer moonshot program for developing the next-generation healthcare for Indians.

Under Academics, we are consolidating a one HCG, one curriculum, one university approach, aimed at collaborations with other academic bodies in the form of affiliations to launch practice-driven courses and best-in-class fellowship programs for clinical, nursing, and paramedical professionals. We also plan to make more international accreditations to benchmark academic excellence of global standards. Our academic strides carry the conscious responsibility of bridging the great divide between biological advances and technological advances. A rich repository of actionable insights of HCG oncologists across different disciplines is at the core of our Academic DNA.

The Research and Academic initiatives intrinsically feed into all our Training programs. Our aim is to create a vast pool of HCGians empowered by high-end training programs for making cancer a chronic disease, and cancer treatments accessible and affordable at the grassroots level. Within the organization, the key areas of competence enhancement include genomics-guided immunotherapy, precision medicine, and personalized medicine, besides making the most of the whole range of enabling technologies – whether digital diagnostics, IoT and Cloud, ultra-fast scans, wearables, blockchain, digital therapy, big data, nano health, AI health, hackathons, system learning, or robotics.

Last, but not the least, through a global healthcare advocacy initiative, we will highlight the need for stringent tobacco control for preventing cancer, rather than having to fight it after it strikes. We firmly believe that the larger cause of cancer prevention can only be served through collaboration between like-minded stake­holders of the fraternity at large. Through proactive prevention programs, under the banner of Together to Win, we will continue to inspire people to assume the ethical respon­sibility of cancer control through preventive measures. Through early detection camps, we will continue to make people more aware of the importance of early cancer detection in successful therapeutic interventions.